ATSC 3.0, a.k.a Next Gen TV, is expected to bring a lot to the over-the-air table and that does mean consumers will have to upgrade their equipment, including their TV, to be able to take advantage of all of the benefits. However, that’s not to say consumers need to, or even should, rush out to upgrade their equipment right now. Here’s why it might be better to hold off on a new TV or tuner purchase, for now.
ATSC 3.0 has been in development for some time and is touted as the next evolution in broadcast TV, with not only an experience that’s similar to TV technology.
In principle, consumers only need an antenna to access over-the-air video content and that’s no different with existing antennas will work just fine so consumers do not have to buy a new antenna for ATSC 3.0. In fact, exiting antennas will likely work even better considering the upgraded technology that’s in use with Next Gen TV. However, what won’t work just fine is the rest of the setup. Namely, the TV and/or any external tuner that’s used to process everything behind the scenes. For those who do want access to Next Gen TV as soon as possible, they will need to buy an ATSC 3.0 compatible TV or tuner.
Upgrading TV Equipment For ATSC 3.0
While consumers will need to upgrade their TV or tuner to reap the main benefits of ATSC 3.0, that’s not the same as saying they need to upgrade now, or even in the near future. Firstly, ATSC 3.0 is not bringing an end to the previous ATSC version. Yes, ATSC 1.0 might be discontinued in due course, but companies are obligated (by the FCC) to continue broadcasting to existing TVs and tuners for the next few years. Basically, both ATSC versions will be available at the same time, and while consumers won’t get access to additional features if they don’t upgrade, they also won’t lose access to their local channels and networks if they don’t upgrade during the time-frame.
What’s more, TVs and set-top boxes are slowly coming to market with ATSC 3.0 at the moment. While that will change over time, that also likely means the average cost of a Next Gen TV-ready device will also decrease as well, providing consumers with more options to upgrade without having to pay prices to do so. The same is true for anyone who inevitably buys a new TV in the next few years, as the chances are high that if they are buying a new set from a popular brand, it will most likely come with ATSC 3.0 built-in.
Overall, yes, consumers will eventually need to upgrade their TV or tuner if they want to access the benefits of ATSC 3.0. However, there is no rush right now to make that move and doing so may even result in the consumer paying more for something they’ll be able to buy at a cheaper price in due course, or as part of their natural upgrade cycle. ATSC 3.0 does promise a lot, and is likely to be an important development for OTA TV s, but it is still early days for the technology and a TV upgrade at a later date is probably the best option for most consumers.